Grounded in the Truth
Grounded in the Truth
2 Peter 1:12-21
In these verses, we find Peter’s clear purpose for writing this letter to the early believers. It was to remind them of the great things God had done for them. In the previous message we learned that Peter had told them about their salvation based on God’s grace and salvation work in his Son, Jesus Christ. He had also written to them in verse 3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” They would lack nothing as long as they remembered what God had already provided for them. To Peter it was vital for him to remind them that he knew sinful man’s tendencies to forget God’s grace. As we know, we need many reminders.
If Christians forget God’s grace and God’s word, over time they will acquire spiritual amnesia. Human amnesia has a debilitating effect, and may cause an early death. I know because my mother died of dementia. So, spiritual amnesia will cause us to suffer debilitating effect in our spiritual life. Before entering the Promised Land, God had given this warning to his people in Deuteronomy 8:10-14:
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
Unfortunately, they did forget God’s grace and began to worship idols. Even though America has roots in the Bible and was known as a Christian nation, many people today no longer consider America as a Christian nation. Many of us have forgotten God and we have lost our way. Spiritual forgetfulness is dangerous and we should remember God’s word and his grace upon our lives and our country every day. This is why Peter was doing his best to prevent this from happening to the early believers in regards to the blessings they had received in Jesus.
Verse 13 says: “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder.” According to Bible scholars, Peter was in his 70’s when he wrote his letter. He knew that his temporary life was almost over. Peter knew that he was about to leave his body because Jesus had told him earlier when he followed Jesus as a disciple. Actually, knowing that we are living as spiritual nomads in this world helps us to look forward to our new life in heaven like our forefathers did. Hebrews 11:9-10 reads, “By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” We are just living temporarily here until we reach our final destiny - the kingdom of God.
According to Peter’s own testimony, Jesus had made it clear to him how he would die. When did Jesus tell Peter about his death? It was during the Resurrected Jesus’ visit of his disciples when they had returned to their fishing boats. They had given up hope because they had seen Jesus crucified on the cross. Even though the Risen Jesus visited the disciples they did not know what to do. So, they went back to do what they knew - fishing. Peter was disgusted with himself because he had denied his master and Lord Jesus three times. But out of His grace and mercy the Christ met them where they were and prepared breakfast for them.
During their discussion, Jesus had reinstated Peter. However, it would not be easy for him because as Jesus said to his disciples if people persecuted Him, they will also persecute his followers. Then Jesus told Peter of his future. John 21:18 reads, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” Peter would be bound and taken to where he did not want to go. Prisoners at that time were bound to be taken to execution by Roman soldiers either for flogging or crucifixion. Because Peter knew he was soon leaving the body, he worked hard to remind early believers of the truth he received from Christ.
As we been going through 2 Peter, we see that there were false teachers who were challenging the teachings of Apostle Peter, saying that he was only making up these clever stories. As we know, before Jesus came, there were already many stories and myths about many different gods.
Just think about all the Roman and Greek gods we studied about in high school and we see in movies like Thor, the god of thunder. But Peter told them clearly his testimony that he had seen the glorious image of Jesus. He wrote in verse 16b, “we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” But how can he say that he saw the coming of Jesus in power and majesty when it had not occurred yet? It was because God showed to them what would happen in the future. In the end of Matthew 16, Jesus had told his twelve disciples that some of those with him would not taste death before they would see his second coming to establish his kingdom. So, after Jesus said this, the following was written in Matthew 17:1-3, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” This was the preview of his return Jesus had given to his top three disciples Peter, John, and James.
Look at verse 19. “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Peter had an observational moment when he saw the glorious resurrection body of Jesus in all its majesty. Of course, only Peter, James, and John saw this event. But Peter wanted to assure believers that there was something more trustworthy than his eyewitness of the transfiguration, and that was the prophetic word of God. Let’s not forget also that Peter and the other disciples witnessed hundreds of miracles Jesus performed during his earthly ministry.
Actually, not only Peter but many other disciples, witnessed with their own eyes how Jesus’ words were fulfilled. Jesus had prophesied to his disciples about his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus said in Mark 10:33-34, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Even though Jesus had told them this several times, they did not understand it, and when they saw Jesus crucified, they despaired and their souls filled with darkness. But after meeting the Risen Jesus, and believing in their hearts that he was resurrected the darkness of despair and death disappeared from their hearts. According to Apostle Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians 15, there were more than 500 brothers who saw the Risen Jesus. The lives of those in this group were changed forever. And they also became history makers who changed the world.
In the last two verses, we look at the origin of God’s word and its truth. Look at what is said in verses 20-21. “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
As we know, the Bible was written in an expanse of about 1,500 years, by around 40 authors, and 3 languages. Do you know of any other book that has been written like this? But in spite of all these variants, there is one unifying theme throughout the Bible, and that is the coming of the Savior of the world. This was the salvation plan of God after man’s fall. God made it clear in the Scriptures who the Messiah would be and what kind of life he would live, and the kind of death he would die. So, God is the true Author of the Bible. He inspired men to write the word of God, and the many prophecies about the coming Messiah. These fulfillments of Scriptures show the historicity and authenticity of God’s word.
Look at verse 21 again. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” There are many today who call themselves Christians but do not believe in the inspired and inerrant word of God in the Bible. There are those who take many passages of the Bible figuratively and that they did not really happen. But they forget that the Bible did not originate from man, but from God. This is why it is important for believers to accept the verbal complete inspiration of the Scriptures. The writers themselves were very careful and prayerful in searching and seeking guidance from God as they wrote. Peter had mentioned this back in 1 Peter 1:10-11, “Concerning this salvation the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”
It was the Holy Spirit that inspired the writers and moved them along as they wrote the word of God. We must also know that they did not write out of human inspiration, but God’s inspiration. Human inspiration is different.
When we were younger, we watched people of many different backgrounds for inspiration. Sports people, News people, Family, Friends and even celebrities. But for spiritual matters about Jesus, salvation, eternal life, and the kingdom of God we need to read and hear spiritual inspiration from God’s word. This is why we believe God’s word is inerrant and it is our lamp in a dark place and time.
Several times during camping trips at night when we walk around it is pitch dark in the woods. But when we want to walk somewhere you would wear head lamps or carry a flashlight. They light the path in front of you so you can maneuver around the campsite to find what you are looking for. Without these lights we would be lost in the dark.
When we carefully and prayerfully read God’s word it becomes like a head lamp that gives us clear direction in this dark world.